A family with Greenwood County ties is grieving the loss of a three-year-old boy who went missing at a family member’s home last Saturday afternoon and was found unresponsive in a waterway nearby on Sunday, June 16.
According to a Facebook post by the boy’s sister, the toddler was autistic and tended to run off and the family member was unaware of those issues.
According to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the 12000 block of SW Prairie Creek in Andover on Saturday, following the report of a missing toddler. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office said that due to the property’s size, which included trees and waterways, multiple agencies, including water rescue from the Augusta Department of Safety, assisted in the search.
Initial reports indicated that the child was playing outside a home on the property while an adult was outside doing yard work. The child wandered off and disappeared, but was still believed to be on the property. A search of the area continued until around 3:15 a.m. Sunday. The search resumed early Sunday morning with the child being found in a nearby waterway around 7:30 a.m.
Funeral services are being planned, but were not available at the time of publication. His name has not been released.
With the passing of the three-year-old, his fiveyear- old brother has been relocated to another family and the family is seeking the following donations: toy box, size 10 in summer shoes and a small dresser. The family is also looking for a 2-3T tuxedo/suit and size 9 dress shoes to bury their brother in. Monetary donations are also being collected for both needs for the five-year-old, as well as funeral expenses for the three-year-old. Monetary donations should be made payable to Katherine Aikman. Donations can be taken/ mailed to The Eureka Herald, 822 E. River St, Ste 100, PO Box 590, Eureka, KS 67045.
